Blue Peter will lose live 'magic', ex-host says

The current presenting line-up includes Shini Muthukrishnan, Joel Mawhinney and Abby Cook, pictured here alongside Henry the dog

Former Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis has said the show will lose some of its live "magic", after the BBC confirmed it will move to a fully pre-recorded format having filmed its last live episodes after 67 years.

The longest-running children's show in the world, which first aired in 1958, has been a mix of live and pre-recorded shows for decades, the corporation said.

But it has decided to put an end to its live episodes "as viewing habits change".

Ellis, who once had to handle a tarantula live on the show, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday: "I feel sorry for this generation of presenters who aren't going to feel that thrill."

Janet Ellis alongside Simon Groom and Peter Duncan on the show in 1983

"There is something of an adrenaline rush to doing things live, because things can go wrong, but I think it's also the magic when they go right," she added.

"It's the best example of teamwork I can think of because you are just as important as everyone else in the studio. And I'm sure there were nervous cameramen, but we all had to do it together and no one could go again because it wasn't quite right the first time."

Ellis worked on the show from 1983 to 1987, in the days before autocues and producers talking in presenters' ears.

She suggested the "jeopardy" and "magic" created in live moments is probably "the reason why up until now, it has continued to be live in the face of everything else changing around it."

Despite the changes to the filming format, she said Blue Peter remains a "timeless" show, however.

'Golden age'

Fellow former presenters Simon Thomas and Richard Bacon expressed their disappointment at the news over the weekend, with Bacon saying "being live is what made it alive".

Thomas, now a Sky Sports presenter, posted on Instagram: "We probably didn't realise it at the time, but we were working in the last years of the golden age of children's TV, a time when children's programmes filled the afternoons and Saturday mornings on BBC One and ITV.

"An era when audiences were measured in the millions rather than the thousands.

"I don't say golden in arrogant way; but everything has fragmented now and the way children consume entertainment has changed forever. There will never be another era like it again."

Bacon said he "loved" the long-running series and described it as "a big, well-made, lovingly made, really well resourced live kids' TV show. That had been live in that building for decades".

"It was a magical experience (for, you know, all of 20 months)."

The presenter was sacked from the show in the 1990s after admitting drug taking but returned for its 60th anniversary, receiving a famous Blue Peter badge.

Richard Bacon, who presented Blue Peter in the 1990s, said "being live is what made it alive"

'Future-proof the show'

Blue Peter, which features viewer and presenter challenges, interviews and animal action, will continue to be filmed in Salford and broadcast on CBBC and BBC Two as well as on iPlayer.

"The programme has been a mix of live and pre-recorded shows for decades and has transitioned to a pre-record model as viewing habits change," said a BBC spokesperson.

"Blue Peter continues to be loved by generations across the UK.

"As we continue to navigate a challenging market and young audience viewing habits evolve, it is necessary to make some changes to ensure that BBC Studios Kids and Family Productions delivers a dynamic, digital-first brand that will future-proof the show and sustain its legacy for years to come."

The current presenting line-up includes Shini Muthukrishnan, Joel Mawhinney and Abby Cook, who are joined by Henry the dog.